HELP PLEASE - cant keep pigs in!

[lottiesmum]

I really need to get some advice please.
We have used sheep fencing - grillage - to keep our pigs in and one of little piglets got through the fence and we lost him.
We have resorted to stacking pallets in a very small area to keep the rest secure.
In the meantime we have gone round the entire perimeter within the paddock with electric tape ( the white and blue stuff) two strands spaced approx 15cm and 30cm - we let just one of the now quite a bit larger piglets out and he jumped straight through the electric - got quite a few nasty shocks, bruised and cut his snout whilst he continued to throw himself through the electric and leapt over it several times like a horse jumping champ - proving that without the grillage he would of been long gone. The amount of times he launched himself and the fence it was only going to be a matter of time, so we recaputred him and put him in the barn for night.
What am I doing wrong - is wire better than tape?
Whats the answer to keep them secure? I am at a loss what to do next really?
Please help

[Gillo pedigree Pietrains]

Hello,
in reply to your question, Pigs are highly intelligent - where electric fencing either wire or tape is concerned your problems may be one of the following :

You need to train your pig about electric fencing : this means inside a secure pen (ideally a small pen of fixed hurdles, or in a solid sty) place electric fence on the inside - the pig will always run through electric until it learns this is of no advantage and not an escape route. Only prey animals jump back from danger - a pig naturally has few preditors and its strength or bit are formidable therefore charging instinctively works to chase danger away. It takes on average a couple of weeks within a secure area for the pig to learn not to cross electric fencing. The fencing must be low to the ground to be efficient with a second strand slightly higher up. as you have done.

another possible cause is : the white tape is designed for a pulse electric fence which is suitable for horses, cattle etc. Pigs when learning need a constant trickle of electric, they can hear and feel the pulses, therefore the smarter pigs will attempt to run through between the pulses. The tape is fine to use, but wire is cheeper and a little more robust. The tape traditionally looses its current power the further away from the charger it is and therefore offers a weaker spot or places that a pig will try to run through.

however, it sounds like your pig has not yet learned that electric is not to be crossed, i would suggest that you go back to a small training area first which can be set up safely so that your pig can learn with nothing more than a few electric nips if he crosses and that if he really panics, he can not jump out or get stuck (because of panic) in anything outside.

I hope this helps. Gillo Pedigree Pietrain Pigs

[lottiesmum]

An absolute perfect answer - I have reading up on it since my post and have realised that training is the answer and to change tape for wire instead.
I am going to try to organise the wire to be set up in the barn on temporary pickets.
Thanks so much for your reply - a lot of good sense there.
I will let you know!!

[blonde]

ringlock and barb and rabbit netting along the bottom of the pen or ring lock and electric wire or weldmesh for the tiny piggies.

[Stevie G]

Tape helps the pig to see the wire( white with an orange line), but they soon get to know, even with ordinary wire, once they have touch it. Chicken wire is best, to stop pigs getting through, with electric wire with-in it. Even though they may run straight throught the electric fence, they can't get through chicken wire, which is second defence. You can, and it may well have been said, but I don't use the Site much in the week, as too busy, so don't read through everything, as it take too long, but you can set up an electric wire in an indoor or outdoor weaning pen to train pigs. Chicken wire, with an electric fence inside is the best option, but if you need to stop weaners or bigger, train them in a weaner pen, with electric wire.(as said. It takes too long, and I get too bored reading through everything, and think it may already have been said, so sorry,but!)

[nicksdigs]

With our farrowing huts pens we run a 12" board around bottom with an electric wire 4 inches above it, then a wire strand--use minimum 17 gage galvinized not aluminim [sp?] with electric at 24 inches. This is on the metal "T" post . Between the "T" post and electric wire we run orange safety fence--comes in 4' by 100' roll we cut into 2' x 100 rolls-- this is held up by insulators then the wire. Piglets peek over board and get bit, snow fence acts as deterant for jumping over , and fence won't ground electric if touching. This works great as no pig can run thru with out being held up by snow fence and getting bit and bit and bit and bit. Plus orange color makes fence line easy for pigs to see. On our big pig areas wies at 1'--18" and 2' with post every 15'. For gate areas we tie orange fence to cheap plastic post with spike on bottom which drives into ground then tie top to "T" post. They say pigs can be held in by 2000 volts but we run 5000 works great no better sound then the crack of electric when pigs touch followed by squeal or electric snap followed by my wifes #$%^&^&^$ then I know fence is working. As with all electric needs to be checked at least bi-weekly--weekly better or right after storm.

[Stevie G]

Full power is always best, as no pig dares to get out, where as on 2000 you'll always get a smart arse! Most of the time coloured tape and 3 wire worked, but where we were situated right on a cliff edge the chicken wire was best, along with the 3 wired electrical.